Prince Andrew endorses the "Shropshire star ladder" scheme

The Shropshire star ladder scheme has been developed to help young people find apprenticeships with local employers. The scheme was started in London and the concept has been adopted by the Shropshire star, who worked with local training providers to ensure Shropshire's version delivers the best outcomes for the young people it serves.

Boxall & Edmiston are working with local training provider SBC to create an apprenticeship that will train the next generation of gunmakers. The first apprentice (of what is hopefully many) will finish the first stage of his training in July. The apprentice is hoping to stay on and complete his level three qualification, giving him a solid understanding of engineering principles, whilst focusing on the skills he needs to be a gunmaker.

As Boxall and Edmiston offer apprenticeships we were invited to meet Prince Andrew at an event held at the Shropshire star offices. The event was an opportunity to discuss the support provided by the government and make suggestions about how the schemes could be improved.

Click here to see the article on the Shropshire Star news website

The Shropshire ladder scheme brings together the marketing force of the local press with employers looking for apprentices, to try and find suitable candidates for a vast array of roles across the County. In June, Boxall and Edmiston will begin the search for the next two apprentices to join our rapidly expanding team. The young people will join a team of ten full time staff and will have the opportunity to try all the crafts involved in gunmaking at Boxall and Edmiston, with the aim of teaching them the essential skills of gunmaking before choosing and mastering one.

At Boxall and Edmiston, we understand that the only way to preserve the art of British gunmaking is to train the next generation. We currently have a workforce of ten full-time staff, half of which are either 30 or younger, ensuring the skillsets are saved for generations to come.

If you would like to discuss a career in gunmaking please contact the Boxall and Edmiston workshop, details of which can be found on the contacts tab or by clicking here.

The picture below shows our current apprentice Jack fitting extractors, when asked about his apprenticeship he said:

"I approached Boxall & Edmiston two years ago to see if they had any vacancies after I finished an engineering course. I was fortunate to hear about the company through a relative and after a two-week trial was accepted to start an apprenticeship. My colleagues are nice and have time to help me, with one on one teaching available. I'm about to start my level three qualification and am looking forward to graduating as a fully trained Boxall and Edmiston gunsmith in a few years time. I'm proud of my job and the company I work for and it's been incredibly rewarding to be part of such an interesting team."